Monday, September 26, 2011

What I've Been Reading

Don't forget to check out the
Banned Book Giveaway Hop here.

As much as I complain about not having enough time to read, I have been getting through some books.I'm usually listening to an audiobook, so I can have something going while I'm doing mindless things at home like laundry, cleaning, or yard work. My hubby likes me to read to him, so we've frequently got a book going together, though those take us a while since he tends to fall asleep rather easily (he's got Fibromyalgia). Then I'm usually reading a book myself, either before I go to sleep (when I'm not critiquing) or when I'm on my treadmill or exercise bike.

So, here's what I've been reading (or listening to):

Seeking Persephone is a prequel to Courting Miss Lancaster which I reviewed here. These are Regency Romances by Sarah M. Eden, whose writing I love dearly. She's got a wonderful way of creating conflict riddled with humor. And her characters! I was crushing on Adam after reading CML, but we get to learn so much more about him in SP, that I just love him even more. Sarah hinted there might be another book in the series. I can't wait to visit these characters again. 


I had an opportunity to read the ARC for Everneath by Brodi Ashton, which I LOVED! You can read what I said about it here. It comes out in January 2012.











And another ARC I got to read was Shifting by Bethany Wiggins. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It comes out on September 27th. You can read about it here.


I've read the first two books in this trilogy, and the final book comes out in October. I hesitated to start it since I heard about the first book right after the first Hunger Games book came out. I didn't want to start a new trilogy. But then I was so disappointed with Mockingjay, I wasn't sure I wanted to risk be disappointed again. But Dan Wells did such a fabulous job with his I Am Not a Serial Killer series, that I decided to give this series a chance. We'll see in October. 


I enjoyed Watched by Cindy M. Hogan. I'd definitely want to keep track of any children I sent on summer field trips after reading this book!










I loved Laura Josephsen's book Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld (Also Known as High School). You can read my thoughts on it here.                    

Hubby and I have been reading this series together (we're on the third book). It involves the brother of one of the characters we meet in The Saint Squad Series--see below (love these books about Navy Seals).

 Hubby and I have one more book to go in this series after we finish The Deep End.









 This book is the first in the Runelord series by David Farland. I really enjoyed it. David is the "father", so to speak, of the online critique group forum I'm a member of.










I recently listened to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (who died before the book came out) and her niece Annie Barrows again. I just love this story and the way it's written using letters or notes. The unique voice of each character is so well done. Some of the characters I wish I could meet in real life and just hug!

This books provides one of those places I wish I could go to and live.


I hate getting old. I was thinking I hadn't read this one. Guess what? I have. Oh, well. I liked it the second time, too. It's the sequel to her book Masques, which I read earlier in the year. What can I say? I love Patricia Briggs's books. 








Entwined by Heather Dixon is a charming retelling of the fairytale of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.











A Night of Blacker Darkness by Dan Wells is a really interesting book, very different from his I Am Not a Serial Killer series. Because of that, it took me a few pages to get into it just because it was so different from what I'd expected. It's a farce and has some very silly moments. Talk about a comedy of errors!

From the product description on Amazon:
Wrongly imprisoned, Frederick Whithers is desperate to commit the crime he's already being punished for: defrauding the bank out of a vast inheritance. He fakes his death to escape, but when he's seen climbing out of a coffin everyone assumes he's a vampire; when he shows none of the traditional vampire weaknesses, they decide he must be the most powerful vampire in the history of the world.

Half horror and half farce, Frederick's tale is an ever-growing avalanche of bankers, constables, graverobbers, poets, ghouls, morticians, vampires, vampire hunters, not to mention some very unfortunate rabbits. With a string of allies even more unlikely than his enemies, can Frederick stay alive long enough to claim his (well, somebody's) money? And if he can't, which of his innumerable enemies will get to him first? 


I think this book would make a hilarious play.

Okay. I really need to quit complaining that I'm not getting any reading time. 
Obviously I'm doing better than I thought!


So what have you been reading?
Anything I should add to my Goodreads list?
I haven't reached 100 books to read yet.

24 comments:

  1. Wow -- that's a string of some good-looking book covers! Strange how I'm attracted to covers even though I now read on my Kindle and don't even get to see them in person.

    I'm going to take a look at your reviews of the ARCs and maybe sample Dan Wells's book on Kindle. Thanks for the potential reading list!

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  2. Lots of good titles going on over here. I've heard so many good things about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society but haven't read it yet. I'll definitely have to add it to my list.

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  3. I thought you said you didn't have time to read? I've managed two books in the last month...pitiful I know. Wow, these are all great picks. I have to add them to my list of 100. :)

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  4. Wow, lots of books there! I've been wanting to read the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It's on my TBR list. Also The Help. I think I'm the last person to read that one. :)

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  5. i'm patiently waiting for everneath and now i'm adding that last one. i could use a laugh at vampires' expense =D
    i'm readin Steamed by Katie Mac Alister (a steamy, steampunk romance) and Divergent by Veronica Roth (started out so similar to hunger games i almost put it down, but i'm 1/2 way thru now and its good)

    i agree about mockingjay, but it was still good. hard to put a satisfying end and tie up all the loose strings without writing another book, i guess.

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  6. I just finished "Interstellar Pig" by William Sleator... Wacky.
    And I just started "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasson... so far, so VERY good.

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  7. I love Traci Abramson's books. She is such a wonderful author.

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  8. Not enough reading time? You are way ahead of me right now.

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  9. Some good books here. I just got an ARC of Everneath and can't wait to read it! Fun to see what you are reading.

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  10. I HAVE to read. I can't NOT be reading something. Having said that, the only time I didn't read anything is when I was writing my first book. Afterwards, I made up for that lost time.

    You seem to read across the board in many genres. While I did just finish THE HELP (women's fiction) and I have recently enjoyed reading some YA (STOLEN - which I loved & DIVERGENCE - eh, not so much), not to mention some historical fiction (HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET), I mostLY read within my own genre of adult psychological thrillers. I've been reading a lot of Michael Connelly lately (can't go wrong with him) but my favorite is Greg Iles, who has a new book due out in December, though I am awaiting Jennifer Hillier's follow-up to CREEP.

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  11. Glad you're getting some reading in! My wife and I like to read to each other as well, it's a great pastime as Fall and Winter approach:)

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  12. Wow! That's a long list of good books. Thanks for sharing about it!

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  13. Wow, you've read a lot of books recently! Really the only thing I've been reading (re-re-re-reading in my case)lately is the Harry Potter series to my kids. We're on "The Goblet of Fire" right now. :D That's been a lot of fun.

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  14. Welcome back, Donna! You reading/listening machine, you! ;)

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  15. Loving your book round-up and thoughts. Great reviews!

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  16. Have I told you I love the Guernsey book? One of my favorites.

    And I'm kind of twitching to get my hands on Traci Ambramson's Obsession. And also, Rob Wells's Variant. I'm already first in the library queue (it's a little easier to pull that off here than Utah) for that and the Death Cure.

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  17. I recently read all seven Harry Potter books. Taking a vacation from reading to catch up on business side of life and finish editing stage of my next book.

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  18. Wow, you've got quite an eclectic mix there! I'm reading 'A Weekend with Mr Darcy', and I'm loving it!

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  19. I really enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

    Right now I'm reading Going Bovine by Libba Bray and Lips Touch by Laini Taylor. Laini's book is amazing and I'm looking forward to her new novel Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

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  20. I've been wanting Sarah Eden's book. I loved her others. You have some good ones there. How are we not friends on Goodreads?

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  21. Wow, you've been getting a lot of reading in. Gonna check out the banned books. Haven't had a chance to do anything other than post. :)

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  22. Those are a lot of books! And I have to say, they've got great covers.

    I finished All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab earlier today (it's an interesting story about the murder of a teen) but other than that, it's mostly been Terry Pratchett for the month I'm hosting featuring his books and writing. :)

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  23. You read way faster than I do. I think I can do 3 or 4 a month with everything I'm doing at the most. Either that or the blog-reading suffers! LOL

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